Mexican Indigenous Woman Wins Marathon With Pure Grace and Humility

If you’re preparing to run a marathon, you’d probably need to get the proper running shoes and perhaps good athletic clothing to endure the difficult journey. But if you’re just an amazingly talented athletic person you might not need to spend so much on any running gear. Don’t believe me? Take a look at this indigenous Mexican woman who entered an “ultramarathon” of 31 miles wearing her daily wear of sandals and a skirt.

On April 29, according to the BBC, María Lorena Ramírez came in first place against 500 other runners from 12 countries in “the female category of the Ultra Trail Cerro Rojo” in Puebla, in central Mexico. They also report that the sandals were made of recycled tyre rubber.

Running is a joy to them: “What we noticed when filming the Tarahumara men running the traditional ball race [Rarajipari] and the women running their hoop and arrow race [Ariweta], that for the Tarahumara running is a joyful and sacred experience with a powerful spiritual significance.”

They embrace the simple aspect of running: “The Tarahumara don’t rely on GPS watches, heart-rate monitors, pace calculators, detailed training plans or a special shoe that best matches their running stride. Keeping things simple allows them to focus exclusively on running.”

Araceli Cruz is a freelance journalist living in Savannah, Georgia. She’s covered Latinx topics at Mitú and Vivala, and has written for publications such as Teen Vogue, The Village Voice, GOOD Magazine, and Rolling Stone, among others.